The summer is upon us and once again, it’s time to tame mother nature. The grass is growing and the hedges are getting larger every day. What better time to try out Black and Decker’s wireless 24v tools?
We’ll be reviewing two tools: the 24V Cordless Grass Trimmer (NST1024) and the 24V Cordless 24” Hedge Trimmer (NHT524).
Edger/Trimmer
The Edger is one of those tools I don’t use often. The reason is simple: my mower is cordless and my edger is corded, so by the time I’m done with the mower, I usually skip the edging part because I hate untangling the inevitable knots in the power cord. Cordless edgers have been around for a few years, but I never got around trying one. A few weeks ago, Black and Decker asked me to try one out.
The Black and Decker NST1024 Cordless Grass Trimmer is well built. It feels more solid than my 5 year old corded trimmer, also a Black and Decker. It’s extensible, which my old one wasn’t, so it’s much more comfortable to use than the “one size fits all” models.
The tool is powered by a 24v NiCd battery pack. It has two speeds, what B&D calls «Power Command». For the purpose of trimming all the grass edges on my property, the low power setting was powerful enough, but if you have some dense, tall weeds, you’ll appreciate the more powerful, which delivers the same kick you’d get with a corded unit. The battery life is good. Unless you have a huge property, it will be more than enough.
Feeding more wire is done in the usual fashion, by bumping the unit on the ground, which unlocks the distributor and allows it to unspool a length of wire. Nothing more to say about that, it’s as standard as you get.
In terms of weight, it’s quite light. About the same as my old trimmer. The trimmer’s light weight and its extensible neck and the adjustable handle all contribute to making it an ergonomic, usable tool. Add to that the fact that it’s cordless and I don’t have any more excuses not to trim the edges every time I mow the lawn.
Hedge Trimmer
The B&D Hedge trimmer is fun to use: once you go cordless, there’s no going back. The whole unit is light and maneuverable. It’s long 24” blade gives it enough reach to tackle most jobs on my property without needing a ladder. The mechanism moves both parts of the blade in opposite directions simultaneously, which means that the movements cancel each other out and that means that the vibrations usually associated with hedge trimmers are absent. That really helps when you’re working at arm’s length.
About 10 minutes after starting to use it, I noticed a slight drop in power. I noticed from the sound of the motor, not from the unit’s performance. The hedger had no problem chewing through branches as big as what can fit between its teeth, as long as you cut the branch progressively. From a standing start, the engine stalls on larger branches. A mild annoyance, but a small price to pay considering you don’t need to worry about cutting a power cord.
Battery and Charger
Both units use the same battery pack: a 24v NiCd pack. Both units also include a basic battery charger which charges the battery in 9 to 11 hours. The battery isn’t fully charged and it’s recommended that it be recharged for 11 hours before using it for the first time so bear that in mind when you get back from the store.
Black & Decker makes a Fast Charger (BDFC240) which recharges a 24v battery in 2 hours. It’s a shame that B&D makes you buy the “good” charger instead of just supplying a proper one to begin with. It’s not like the electronics in the Fast charger cost significantly more than those in the included charger. But, then again, unless you have a ridiculously large yard, you’ll be able to do all your trimming and edging on a single battery charge, so the 10 hour charge time won’t be a real problem most of the time — unless you forget to charge it ahead of time, like I sometimes forget to do with my cordless lawnmower.
The batteries are Nickel Cadmium, which isn’t by any stretch the latest technology, but then again NiCd batteries are relatively cheap and tolerate more abuse than NiMH. B&D decided to keep the costs low, which is fine by me.
One note about the NiCd batteries. They contain Cadmium, which is toxic, and should be disposed of at a recycling facility. Don’t know where your local recycling center is? Call 1-800-8-BATTERY
Verdict
While not perfect, the B&D 24v cordless tools have a huge advantage: they are cordless. That means that you will actually use them. Just for that, I can safely recommend them.
They’re also priced well. One caveat: in Canada, the 24v tools are really hard to find (all the stores I usually go to only had the 18v tools) and they are priced roughly 50% more than in the USA. That’s ridiculous considering the current exchange rate. B&D has some adjusting to do before they lure Canadian customers into buying into this new product line.
The B&D Trimmer/Edger and Hedge Trimmer are a good value (in the USA) and get the job done. The battery life might be a bit short if you have a huge property, but for most people, it’ll be enough. If, like me, you have two devices, you have two batteries, so that solves the problem!
Pros:
- Cordless
- Relatively light
- Good balance of battery life and power
Cons:
- Slooooow charger
- Canadian pricing is a unfair
More Info:
